Gigabytes vs. Gibibytes: Understanding the Difference in Data Measurement

It turns out that the gigabytes (GB) we’re familiar with and the gigabytes we actually get aren’t exactly the same thing.

Most of us think of 1 GB as 1000 MB when we buy internet data. However, the data we receive is actually measured in gibibytes (GiB), where 1 GiB equals 1024 megabytes.

1 GB = 10^9 bytes = 1000 MB

On the other hand, 1 GiB = 1024 MB = 2^30 bytes

GiB is a binary unit, while GB is decimal. Although the numbers are close:

1 GiB = 1.07374182 GB

This difference can lead to confusion—or sometimes intentional misrepresentation—by some internet service providers (ISPs). They often advertise data plans in gigabytes (GB) but deliver data in gibibytes (GiB).

Since a gibibyte is slightly larger than a gigabyte, ISPs can advertise more data than they actually provide. Similarly, memory slots in our devices and storage spaces use gibibytes. Major tech companies like Microsoft and IBM also use gibibytes for memory measurements